Imagine being suddenly transplanted by your employer to a completely unfamiliar culture – yet expected to hit the ground running once you’ve landed on that distant shore.

            Now remove imagination from the picture and replace it with reality.

            That’s what my staff and I are often faced with a wide mix of corporate clients and the special, often very interesting challenges they present. It could be a company temporarily transferring employees here for special training or some other relatively short-term work assignment.

            My company frequently becomes the go-to problem solver for fundamental needs such as temporary housing, but also for matters that go well beyond just a place to stay.

            Everyone Has Issues

            Corporate human resource departments contact us and we go right to work, handling short or long-term housing accommodations for the newly transferred individuals. Still, practical issues invariably develop  matters that fall under the umbrella of “settling in” or concierge services.

As we deal increasingly with global challenges – people coming in from Central and South America, Europe, South East Asia, the United Kingdom and other locations – needs come to the fore that might ordinarily fall between the cracks. Luckily, as relocation professionals, we are accustomed to sometimes pulling out all the stops to accommodate these newcomers. For example:

            Food! Transferees’ first day arriving in Buffalo after a long journey from, say, South America, is surely going to involve hunger and thirst – two human needs Western New York is splendid at meeting.   Where do they shop for food? Is there a place to purchase ethnic foodstuffs? What restaurants are nearby?

            Our role as their first-day guide is to give them a nice warm welcome to Buffalo. We can often point out area stores that cater expressly to their native cuisine – not to mention restaurants that would be easily accessible from their apartment or rented home.

            We will also address the practical matter of getting to know the route to and from work – a routine you and I take for granted, but which can be daunting when you wake up in one country and get up for work the next morning in another!

            Speaking of transportation, we’ll typically arrange a rental car for a key person in the group, and even suggest a driving evaluation process for everyone’s safety and to satisfy corporate liability issues. This going the extra distance is something we pride ourselves in as a distinguishing corporate feature.

            A further concern we address as relocation specialists is the practical matter of money, since non-Americans need to spend American currency. When necessary, we’ll advance them needed funds for grocery shopping, solving what could potentially be a sticky cultural problem.

            General Orientation

            Being the go-to resource as relocation specialists, we address individual issues whenever they crop up, such as the transportation, food, and financial matters mentioned above. However, corporate transferees planning to be in Western New York for an extended period can also benefit from an overview of the community they suddenly find themselves living and working in.

            We handle this bigger picture in several ways. We will help transferees gain an overall sense of the city of good neighbors and the complete Western New York region. We’ll show them a number of key sites in our amenity-rich area, from shopping opportunities and restaurant choices to addressing whatever it is they may be curious about.

            As a kind of clearinghouse, we are aware of the many resources available to those just moved here – whether permanently or for several months of work-related activity – and one of them is the International Institute. That organization, plus special resources available through local colleges, universities and other groups, help provide information on the dos and don’ts of finding yourself thrust into a new way of life.

            Speaking Their Language

            Recently, we even were able to leverage a bit of serendipity with some corporate clients from France. One of our agents is bilingual. When our French transferees needed key documents translated – including school and immunization records – we were delighted to be able to be a problem-solving hero of sorts!           

Relocation doesn’t always get this exotic, but sometimes it does. Pragmatic problems spring up with any move, whether arriving from Barcelona or Biloxi, and whether corporate or residential. Putting a flexible and resourceful team of relocation professionals on the job can mean the difference between culture shock and culture comfort. Call us problem-solvers; our clients do!